Bob Payne reveals the 15 places to visit now becausefor better or worsethey will never be the same.

The pros reveal their picks of the countries, islands, cities (and even a borough) that are poised for discovery.

Destinations come, destinations go, and sometimes they come again. In travel, it's all in the timing. At any moment, there are places undergoing such profound changes that they are fundamentally different from what they were last year, or what they will be next. The reopening of a nation recently torn by war can be such a change, as can the fall of a government, as the world recently witnessed in Egypt, or even just the arrival of the first luxury hotel in a place that has been largely hidden from the world.

With the help of travel experts, academics, economists, and other analysts who crunch the numbers and weigh the odds, we have found 15 places whose time is now. Not every one of them will appeal to every traveler. For some of us, pleasure lies in arriving before the bullet holes are patched; for others, it is in being the first among friends to watch a certain sunset from a bathtub awash in rose petals. But every traveler will find at least a few places here that will call to them, and where they can be among the first to visit at the perfect moment.

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Trancoso, Brazil**

Why go: To share the beach, sun, party scene, and quirky inns with people who see individuality as their stock-in-trade.

Why go now: With their newfound wealth, many more Brazilian travelers will be arriving soon, and international hotel chains are moving in to meet the increased demand.

If you go: Over the next few years, the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics will no doubt focus attention on Brazil. But a bigger game-changer, according to Paul Irvine, director of the Rio-based travel specialists Dehouche, is the country's rapidly expanding economy, spurred in part by the discovery of large oil reserves. With money in their pockets, Brazilians are eager to see more of their expansive country, and the tourism infrastructure is growing to keep pace. The beachside village of Trancoso, in the northeast state of Bahia, is a prime example. For years, Trancoso has been an enclave for Brazilian trendsetters (Gisele, for one), many of whom have homes here or stay in one of the tiny design-driven hotels, such as the Villas de Trancoso, just steps from the sand (55-73-3668-1151; doubles, $440—$548, with a five-night minimum), and Uxua Casa, owned by the former creative director of Diesel (55-73-3668-2277; doubles, $700—$903). If small and independent accommodations appeal, now might be a good time to visit, because, says Irvine, several major hotel groups—including Aman, Fasano, Four Seasons, and Mandarin Oriental—have either acquired property in the vicinity or are close to doing so.

Best way to go: Fly to Porto Seguro via Salvador or São Paulo.

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Sri Lanka**

Why go: Nearly the size of Ireland, this island off the tip of India is among the world's most geographically and culturally diverse. It's also one of the most alluring—visitors will find monks in saffron robes, elephant tracks in the sand on palm-fringed beaches, and tea plantations in the cool hill country.

Why go now: To get there ahead of the swell of visitors who are on their way now that the fighting is over.

If you go: Until recently, Sri Lanka was in the throes of a civil war, but when the conflict ended in 2009, tourists and hoteliers began trickling back. Some small high-end hotels are already in operation, among them two Aman resorts: the all-suite Amanwella, above a beach near the village of Tangalle (94-47- 224-1333; suites, $450—$550), and Amangalla, at the Old Fort in Galle (94-91-223-3388; doubles, $400). There's also Ceylon Tea Trails, a quartet of bungalows spread across the startlingly green Botawantalawa Valley (94-11-230-3888; doubles, $470). And more are on the way. But don't wait too long to see for yourself. According to Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, annual visitor numbers, already at more than 600,000, are expected to reach 2.6 million by 2016.

Best way to go: New York to Colombo

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Oman**

Why go: Unexpected natural beauty (imagine a 10,000-foot peak aptly named Green Mountain) and cultural traditions so intact that men still wear ceremonial daggers on official occasions.

Why go now: If you wait, this long-shrouded Persian Gulf sultanate may become just another hypermodern state.

If you go: True, there is a McDonald's in the capital, Muscat. But it wasn't until a few years ago, in the face of concerns about dwindling oil reserves, that this long inward-looking country entertained the idea of tourism as an alternative source of revenue. And so far, its approach has been anything but the skyscrapers-in-the-sand route taken by neighboring Dubai. "In contrast to most Gulf States, Oman is focusing on nature- and culture-based tourism," says Waleed Hazbun, author of Beaches, Ruins, Resorts: The Politics of Tourism in the Arab World. How long Oman can maintain that focus may soon be tested, though. In an effort to attract 12 million visitors annually by 2020 (it now receives 2.5 million), the country is investing $20 billion in tourism marketing and infrastructure and is welcoming new resorts and hotels, including Club Med (to open in 2012), Banyan Tree (2013), and Fairmont (2014).

Best way to go: JFK via Dubai on Emirates, or via Abu Dhabi on Etihad.

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Lhasa, Tibet**

Why go: To watch the sun rise over snow-blanketed mountains as countless colorful prayer flags flap in the wind above the Jokhang, Tibet's most sacred temple. The Dalai Lama, exiled leader of the Tibetan people, will himself probably never be able to enjoy this spectacular sight again.

Why go now: As China continues to strengthen its hold on Tibet, the era of the luxury hotel has arrived, and
the crowds may not be far behind.

If you go: With the opening last year of the St. Regis Lhasa Resort (86-891-680-888; doubles, $304—$393), a Shangri-La and an InterContinental to open soon, and the first Tibetan airline scheduled to begin flights this year, China is well on the way to turning Lhasa into what it calls an "international tourism city." The increase in accommodations will be enormous—the InterContinental alone will have 2,000 rooms—and the city will probably need them: Within the next few decades China is expected to become the world's most popular tourist destination. So get in early, and don't forget to take your butter tea: It's supposed to help prevent altitude sickness.

Best way to go: Via Beijing on Air China. Or, to see the country—a lot of it—48 hours by train from Beijing.

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Maldives**

Why go: In this Indian Ocean archipelago where the word atoll originated, luxury resorts abound—one per idyllic island.

Why go now: So many new resorts have opened recently (or are about to) that some are offering deep discounts to get your attention.

If you go: A new government in 2008 permitted more hotel construction on the atolls that make up the Maldives. No need to worry about feeling crowded, though, because most islands have only one resort, giving each guest ample personal space. Virtually all of the atolls are ringed by palms and white sand enclosing a fishbowl lagoon, and are separated from the nearest neighbor by miles of sea. Lindsay Wallace of Linara Travel says so many new luxury resorts are opening that some are having trouble standing out. "So they're offering really good deals," says Wallace, noting that he was able to book a seven-night stay in June at the brand-new Anantara Kihavah Villas for $6,637, a savings of about 50 percent off the standard rate (960-66-44-111; doubles, $1,730—$1,980). As for other new properties, the 36-villa Jumeirah Dhevanafushi opened in January (971-436-47555; doubles, $2,857— $5,957), and the Six Senses Laamu will open this month (960-680-0800; rates unavailable at press time).

Best way to go: JFK to Male via Dubai on Emirates.

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Mexico**

Why go: Because you don't have to cross the ocean to enjoy a rich foreign culture, awesome beaches, and fantastic food.

If you go: The beaches of the Yucatán have always exerted a potent pull on travelers—as have the marine life of the Sea of Cortés, the cobblestoned streets of San Miguel de Allende, and the moles served just about everywhere but arguably best in Oaxaca. After taking a dive over the past couple of years, largely due to drug crime, visitor numbers are higher now than they were in 2008, which was a record year. Much of the increase is due to bargain prices. "I'd estimate that they're down 20 to 30 percent," says Mexico travel specialist Zachary Rabinor, of Journey Mexico. As for safety, the general wisdom, and U.S. State Department advice, is to avoid the border areas in the north and to use caution elsewhere. Jittery travelers may prefer to sign on with an established tour operator, some of whom rely on private security companies for what Jim Sano, president of Geographic Expeditions, which does several trips in Mexico, calls "granular" information. "It helps us know what's happening in a particular place at a particular time," Sano said.

Best way to go: Many airlines fly from destinations throughout the United States. But don't look for fare cuts:
Reduced flight schedules have made it unnecessary for airlines to offer discounts, Rabinor says.

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Brooklyn**

Why go: To explore the trendy bars, restaurants, galleries, and shops that even über-competitive Manhattanites are just discovering.

Why go now: Because there's nothing cooler than being among the first at the hippest spots in the city—way before the tour buses pull in.

If you go: Brooklyn's tide has been rising for the better part of a decade as hipsters, chefs, writers, and artists have fled Manhattan in search of more affordable . . . everything. As these stylish immigrants have filled the borough's old neighborhoods, they've transformed lowly bodegas into Michelin-starred restaurants, dive bars into wineries, abandoned warehouses into playhouses, and a gothic bank building into a massive flea market. The gravitational pull of Brooklyn's restaurant scene has long been its number one draw, but now that Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare has earned the borough's first two-star Michelin rating, even more foodies are sure to be drawn into its orbit (200 Schermerhorn St.; 718-243-0050; prix fix, $135). And visitors intent on sampling Brooklyn's bounty need not always go back over the bridge at the end of the night, thanks to the borough's recent hotel boom. Along with a clutch of new business-minded properties, including a Sheraton and an Aloft, there's the sleek and quirky Nu Hotel (85 Smith St.; 718-852-8585; doubles, $259—$315).

Best way to go: Take the 30-minute stroll across the storied Brooklyn Bridge to explore the DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights neighborhoods. The subway provides easy access to other hoods as well.

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Mozambique**

Why go: For an authentic African adventure in which you'll see wildlife including lions, crocodiles, and more than 400 kinds of birds in a lush, riverine habitat of grassy floodplains and tangled forests.

Why go now: Because you'll not only witness but also help to bring about the resurrection of a national park that was once among the most popular in Africa.

If you go: The 16-year civil war that laid waste to Mozambique not only destroyed the economy but also decimated its populations of elephants, buffalo, hippos, and other large mammals. Now, the economic outlook is finally improving, and ecotourism is increasingly playing a role. The standout example is Gorongosa National Park, where the Mozambique government has partnered with a U.S. philanthropic group, the Carr Foundation, to attempt reintroducing animals—and tourists—to the park. But it will only work if job creation makes locals committed to the success of the effort, says foundation creator Gregg Carr. "Then the community has a stake in the animals not being poached." And it is tourism, ultimately, that will provide those jobs. Which is why, even though only a couple hundred of the thousands of animals that were lost have so far been reintroduced, now is the time to come. Visitors to Gorongosa will find 18 air-conditioned rooms in nine bungalows operated by the park (258-23-535010; doubles, $126), as well as a tented camp run by Explore Gorongosa, a private adventure travel company in its third season (258-82-912-3637; doubles, $880).

Best way to go: JFK to Maputo via Johannesburg on South African Airways, then charter a plane from CFA Charters or take its twice-weekly scheduled flight to Gorongosa's airstrip at Chitengo Camp. Note: The park is closed from early December through March, during the rainy season.

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Zona Cafetera, Colombia**

Why go: West of Bogotá, on the slopes of the Andes, Colombia's coffee region is waiting for visitors to return to its undulating hills and raggedly charming towns.

If you go: According to Control Risks, a firm that gauges security concerns around the world, the election in 2010 of President Juan Manuel Santos is a sign that Colombia's rapidly improving security situation is likely to continue. Santos has pledged to take the same hard-line stance against guerrillas and cocaine traffickers that worked for the former president. As a result, says Control Risks analyst Simon Whistler, "Colombia is back on the tourism map." Most popular of the newly accessible areas is the Zona Cafetera, or Coffee Region, where mountain-slope farms are the setting for a number of pleasant inns and haciendas, including the stylish Sazagua, in Pereira (57-6-337-9895; doubles, $137$176), and the bamboo- trimmed Bambusa, in Quindío (57-311-506-9915; doubles, $150).

Best way to go: Spirit Airlines flies nonstop from Fort Lauderdale to Armenia, in the heart of the coffee region.

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Libya**

Why go: To see North Africa's best classical ruins and to explore the Sahara, by four-by-four or camel.

Why go now: The recent lifting of visa restrictions against Americans means that a door long shut is open again.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Unfortunately, after this article went to press for our print edition, that door unexpectedly closed again for obvious reasons. It is our hope that it will open again soon.)

If you go: With Syria being called the new Morocco and Beirut the new (gasp!) Provincetown, travelers with an eye for antiquity are moving on to Libya. "The country offers some of the world's best-preserved Roman archaeological riches," says Thomas Stanley, Centre Head and COO of the travel company Cox & Kings, The Americas. Every itinerary should include the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Leptis Magna, a remarkably intact—and only partially excavated—ancient city, easily among the finest Roman ruins outside Italy. For many, a foray into the seemingly endless sands of the Sahara, either on the back of a camel or strapped into a four-by-four, holds even more appeal. Infrastructure is basic, although Libya's first luxury hotel, Tripoli's Corinthia (218-21-335-1990; doubles, $347), was joined in January by a Sheraton Four Points (218-21-337-2300; doubles, $338—$386); a Marriott is scheduled to open later this year.

Best way to go: JFK to Tripoli via Frankfurt on Lufthansa.

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Kurdistan, Iraq**

Why go: The capital, Erbil, is stunningly set against snowcapped mountains that rise above rolling green fields and is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.

Why go now: War has ended, at least in this small corner of Iraq, making it possible for travelers to visit for the first time in years. Go soon, though. Thanks to oil money, reconstruction is in full swing, which means that the few villages left after Saddam Hussein destroyed 4,000 of them won't remain villages for long.

If you go: Postwar curiosity is drawing an increasing number of travelers to this now serene region of Iraq, says Middle East political analyst Carolyn McIntyre, who recently scouted the area for the travel company Geographic Expeditions. The U.S. State Department maintains that the area remains dangerous, but the British government disagrees. According to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the risk of terrorism in Kurdistan is "markedly and statistically lower than in other parts of Iraq." In Erbil, the city's first hotel with luxury aspirations, the Rotana, opened in January (964-66-210-5555; doubles, $260—$450). Beyond Erbil, visitors can journey up into the mountains and past waterfalls along the Hamilton Road: Once a route fiercely fought over by warring factions, it is now a tourist trail. Just be careful about following the road to its end, which is at the Iranian border.

Best way to go: JFK to Erbil via Frankfurt on Lufthansa.

**

Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos**

Why go: Among the smallest of the Turks and Caicos islands, Salt Cay has all the makings of a tropical paradise: welcoming locals, crystalline waters, and nearly deserted beaches where whales often pass by.

Why go now: With the proposed 2013 opening of the island's first major resort, much of Salt Cay's Robinson Crusoe—like vibe could disappear.

If you go: On this small island of 100 year-round residents—where singer Jimmy Buffett's grandfather used to sail his ship for cargoes of salt and locals still commute on donkeys—the arrival of the first resort will mean big changes. The project will include 40 villa suites and 13 four-bedroom residential villas, a marina, and a golf course. While the resort could bring a level of prosperity not seen locally since the salt industry collapsed decades ago; it could also take away much of what visitors come to the island for: tranquillity, and the ability to walk the miles of beaches undisturbed. Until that day arrives, you can stay at one of a handful of small properties, such as the Villas of Salt Cay (772-713-9502; doubles, $150), and hang out at the Island Thyme Bistro (134 Honeheka, North District; 649-946-6977; entrées, $16—$56)—don't be surprised if you come across a wall calendar that's a few years out of date.

Best way to go: Direct flights on several airlines from major cities to Providenciales, then a thrice-weekly flight on Caicos Express from Provo to Salt Cay.

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Greenland**

Why go: To see the intense blue of glaciers and the eerie green of the Northern Lights on an island twice the size of Texasone that is covered with ice, except for its very edges, year-round.

Why go now: To get there before the oil platforms do.

If you go: With the U.S. Geological Survey estimating that at least 50 million barrels of oil may lie beneath Greenland's surface, there's a good chance that big development may come to the island within the next few years—even allowing it to finance its independence from Denmark. "Autonomy has always been a question of having the money, and oil would give it to us," says Aleqa Hammond, Greenland's former minister of foreign affairs and finance. Environmentalists are already voicing concerns about the decimation an oil spill would bring to Greenland's fragile environment. But oil could bring benefits, too, including enormously expanded funding of social programs and improved transportation links. For now, though, sled dogs remain an Inuit's best friend, and the restaurant at the Hotel Arctic, one of Greenland's few luxury digs, remains the best place from which to view the icebergs on Disko Bay (299-94-41-53; doubles, $291—$381; entrées, $23—$41).

Best way to go: Various airlines to Reykjavík, then Air Iceland to Illulissat or Air Greenland to Nuuk.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina**

Why go: To ski the mountain landscape that wowed the world during the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Why go now: Once everything is working again, it won't be as much of an adventure.

If you go: Like other countries in the area that hope to see tourism take off the way it has in Croatia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina has much potential and some way to go. What makes this Balkan nation a special case is that it was once so highly regarded for its natural beauty and skiing possibilities that its capital, Sarajevo, hosted the 1984 Olympics. But the Balkan war hit Sarajevo especially hard, and today the city, with its creaky chair lifts, ungroomed trails, and ruins of Olympics-era hotels, is only a shadow of what it once was. Despite remnants of the ethnic friction that started the war, there are signs, too, that the city may be on the road to regaining some of its luster. Last year, a new $12.7 million ski lift opened at Jahorina, one of the primary Olympic venues, along with a new hotel, the Han, at the foot of another Olympic venue, Bjelasnica (387-33-584-150; doubles, $82). "If the investment keeps coming, there's every reason to expect Sarajevo to grow its share of the ski market substantially," says Sam Baldwin, editor of SnowSphere.com, a U.K.-based online magazine for snow seekers. Visitors will find many rough edges, but they'll also discover bargain-price skiing and an opportunity to contribute to a recovering nation's progress.

Best way to go: Washington Dulles to Sarajevo via Munich on Lufthansa.

**

Upolu Island, Samoa**

Why go: Ever since 1953, when the classic movie Return to Paradise was filmed on Samoa's mountainous main island, the beaches along its south coast, including the one now known as Return to Paradise, have been recognized as among the prettiest in the South Pacific—so pretty that they recently appeared in two seasons of the reality TV show Survivor.

Why go now: Most of the island's resorts, which were badly damaged or leveled by a tsunami in 2009, are finally reopening.

If you go: The pull of a place post-disaster can be strong. Sometimes it is mere curiosity, but often there is a more noble impulse. "Even while we were rebuilding, many guests came because they saw it as an opportunity to help," says Sose Annandale, general manager of the Sinalei Reef Resort and Spa (685-25191; doubles, $265—$535). The story is much the same at another popular south coast resort, Coconuts Beach Club, which was often entirely booked during the busiest construction periods (685-24849; doubles, $299—$329). The desire to help, mostly just by paying for a room or a meal now that the hammers and saws have been put away, seems particularly fitting here. Fa'a Samoa, the "Samoan Way," a traditional Polynesian worldview still strongly adhered to, is based largely on the support of extended family—family, it would now appear, that includes the community of travelers.

Best way to go: Several carriers, including Air New Zealand and United, fly to Apia via Auckland, or Air Pacific flies direct from Honolulu.